Wishing for a new home?

Changes: The owners needing a make-over.

A simple makeover can make all the difference

MANY of us are proud of our homes for it is our sanctuary and haven. We stay home to relax and entertain our guests.

I was invited to speak on how I made improvements to my home at The Star Property Fair 2012 last December.

I presented a topic close to my heart — home decoration on a budget.

After my session, I met the Lee family, who like many others, had lived in the same house for over 15 years and yearned to move to a new house.

One of the reasons that families are not moving is the shortage in residential units.

According to the National Property Information Centre, there are 6.5 million families but only 4.5 million available residences.

Furthermore, constant demand for housing pushes prices out of reach of many people. Stringent criteria for bank loans, unfamiliar environment and suitability are other reasons they stay put.

Improved: After the make-over.

On the other hand, many of us love our present homes owing to sentiments, familiarity with the neighbourhood, convenience and security.

Buying a property is one of the biggest investments we make in our lifetime, so we have to be very careful.

If you cannot afford to buy a new place or find one that meets your needs, make do with what you have. Refurnish.

Update the look and feel

Your home is an expression of who you are.

Even the trendiest deco of the 1990s needs an update.

Making meaningful changes to your existing home will surely freshen your feel and mood.

The most cost-effective and efficient way is to remove clutter by throwing or giving away unnecessary items.

Seems like an easy task, but understandably, almost every item on display has a sentimental value.

If you do that, you free up valuable space.

Besides, you can make a quick buck by selling your items to second hand stores, hold a yard sale or sell online.

It is easy to make a habit of hoarding — I am trying to stop it myself — so make it a point to give. And if you are giving your belongings to charity, they must be in good condition.

A fresh coat of paint instantly brightens the home.

Colour and lighting enhance the ambience.

As different colours have different effects on rooms, bear in mind that pastel colours give the illusion of spaciousness while striking colours bring out the character of a themed room.

Consider first the feel you desire; Balinese, modern, artistic — be creative.

Involve family members to paint the interior as a family project instead of outsourcing the job. Besides saving RM2,000 to RM5,000, you will feel more secure without strangers in your house.

What to invest in

Set aside a realistic budget for decorating and try to stick to it by prioritising areas that most need the makeover.

Generally, the living room is the top priority as it is the most visible area.

You will find it refreshing in the change of theme in the new colour of the walls, lighting, new sofa set and curtains.

Items that you choose should reflect your personality. Inexpensive items such as rugs, colourful pillows and flowers lend a soothing touch.

You could also retain your furniture and just change the layout.

This will save you a few thousand ringgit. For example, existing sofas can be transferred from the living room to the family room or bedrooms.

The Lee family insisted on prioritising the dining area and they have valid a point.

Malaysians typically bond over a meal or a drink, so getting a new dining set is worth it.

Investing in quality sofa and dining sets will go a long way to keep your family happy living in the same house.

Cost-savinmg easures

Research is the key to cost savings. Before I start to buy, I find out the prices at various stores.

I make high quality products at affordable prices a priority.

After an extensive research, I usually choose to buy most items in a single store as economies of scale will earn me higher discounts and savings on other costs such as transportation, alterations and improvements.

I pointed the Lee family to international furniture outlets such as Ikea and Harvey Norman, which are known for their universally-acceptable themes, and competitively priced local brand Macy.

I had visited Macy’s main showroom in Seri Kembangan and liked its wide array of themes.

Plus, I liked the idea of supporting a home-grown brand.

I shared with the Lee family my buys (new items), a new leather sofa set, a L-shaped sofa, a 5ft tempered-glass dining table with eight leather chairs, a tempered glass and wood shelf, rugs, floral and lace curtains and blinds for the whole house, sofa pillows and artificial flowers.

Including repainting of the whole house, the cost of the make-over came to about RM25,000. I would say I saved over RM10,000 from buying everything from a single manufacturer due to the economies of scale.

This approach enabled me to save time, manpower and transportation costs in addition to the extra discounts on goods.

You can imagine how much more it would have cost the family to move to an altogether brand new place.

Having said that, this is a short-term solution as you work towards a new property.

I wish you success in your home renewal effort! - The Star

Groups: Initiatives to boost affordable housing can be improved

PETALING JAYA: Groups representing house buyers support the Government's efforts to provide more affordable housing but feel there is room for improvement in implementing the various initiatives.

National House Buyers Association (HBA) secretary-general Chang Kim Loong said the association was happy that the Government heeded its call to unlock the country's land bank for more areas to be developed for housing.

However, he felt that the implementation of initiatives like the 1Malaysia People Housing programme (PR1MA) could be better.

“I don't think PR1MA should be applicable to those who already own one property.

“It should only be for first time house buyers,” he said.

Under the eligibility criteria, PR1MA applicants must be at least 21 years old and own no more than one property, among others.

Chang pointed out that the Nusantara PR1MA project was oversubscribed by six times and this showed that there were not enough houses available.

“So if there are not enough houses, we should not open up the market to those who already own a house.

“It is not fair to others who do not even own a single property,” he said.

He also suggested that PR1MA should blaze the trail for other developers in implementing the “build then sell” concept where houses are sold only after they are fully constructed.

“By 2015, all developers must apply this method. But why not let PR1MA be the forerunner in doing this?” he proposed.

Information technology analyst Tan Beng Teong lauded the changes to the eligibility criteria in My First Home Scheme as it enabled him to qualify as a purchaser.

“Now that the individual income limit has been increased from RM3,000 to RM5,000 monthly, I can apply for the scheme.

“I've been planning to buy a house but the prices of homes these days have sky rocketed so much that it is out of my budget,” said the 31-year-old.

Tan said he hoped that PR1MA would allocate more houses for sale as prospective buyers had to compete with each other in an open balloting system. - The Star

Government to announce more affordable housing projects soon

PETALING JAYA: There is an overwhelming demand for affordable houses and the Government is stepping up efforts to help more Malaysians own homes without having to burn a hole in their pockets.

1Malaysia People Housing programme (PR1MA) chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Mutalib Alias said that the demand for affordable homes “far exceeded” its supply.

Fortunately, Malaysians can expect more new housing projects to be announced soon.

Abdul Mutalib said PR1MA was currently identifying more suitable land to be developed, in addition to its previously earmarked 50 locations in key urban areas.

So far, areas identified include Selangor, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Pahang, Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu and Malacca.

PR1MA aims to develop 80,000 cheaper homes, catering to middle-income households with a monthly combined household income of between RM2,500 and RM7,500.

Abdul Mutalib assured that PR1MA homes would remain well below 20% of the market price of similar developments even though it collaborated with private developers in certain areas.

Abdul Mutalib said that PR1MA planned to intensify public awareness of its programme by rolling out a more aggressive campaign that would cover all media channels such as print, TV, radio and the Internet.

It was recently reported that the Nusantara PR1MA project in Johor was oversubscribed by six times.

Another Government initiative, My First Home Scheme, saw 441 applications being approved with a total loan amount of RM67.3mil as at December last year.

Under the scheme, one can obtain 100% financing from banks and own a home without needing to pay a 10% down payment.

Cagamas SRP Bhd will guarantee 10% of the financing.

Cagamas Bhd president and chief executive officer Chung Chee Leongsaid changes were made to the eligibility criteria to make the scheme more sustainable, in line with the increased ceiling price of houses from RM200,000 to RM400,000.

“The criteria of the scheme will be reviewed from time to time, in line with market conditions to ensure that it continues to serve its objective,” he said.

Under the new conditions effective this year, the monthly income limit of borrowers was raised to RM5,000 from RM3,000 previously, among others.

Meanwhile, the Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd's (SPNB) affordable housing projects in Sungai Buloh and Shah Alam have been oversubscribed by four times.

SPNB chairman Datuk Idris Haron said providing cheaper homes for Malaysians was a goal that was close to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's heart.

“In order to build a wholesome community, one must start with providing homes for all,” he said. - The Star

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Disconnect in price vs yield

THE rental yield for residential and commercial properties in Penang is expected to decline this year, as property prices are expected to rise by another 7% this year.

Raine & Horne Malaysia director Michael Geh says the problem is that rents and property prices have been increasing disproportionately over the past three years, which influences yield returns.

To calculate the yield per year, rent per month is multiplied by 12 months and divided by the market value of a property.

“In 2010, for example, the rent for a 856sq ft condominium in a prime area like Gurney Drive was around RM1,800 per month, while the market value was RM450,000.

“This would result in the yield per year of 4.8% in 2010.

“Today the rental has increased about 22% to RM2,200, while the market value has increased by about 44% to RM650,000 from RM450,000.

“The yield currently is 4.06%, registering a drop of 15.42%,” he said.

For heritage properties in a prime area of George Town like Muntri Street, the yield per year is currently 2.4%, compared to 2.67% in 2010.

“The rent in 2010 was RM2,000 and the market value of the property RM900,000, generating a yield of approximately 2.67%.

“At present, the rent is RM2,800, while the market value is around RM1.4mil, resulting in a yield of 2.4%.

“We expect property prices to rise about 5% to 7% this year, while rents should increase slightly, causing rental yields to plunge further, as it never keeps pace with rising property prices,” Geh said.

For office properties with built-up areas of 700sq ft to 3,000sq ft, the drop in yield has been slight, as their increase in market value has not been that rapid.

“In 2010, the rent for office properties was around RM2.20 to RM2.90 per sq ft, while the market value then of RM250 per sq ft to RM350 per sq ft generated yield of 6% to 6.5%.

“At present, the rents are still more or less the same as in 2010, while the market value is now RM300 per sq ft to RM450 per sq ft, generating yield per year of 5% to 6%,” Henry Butcher Malaysia (Penang) vice-president Shawn Ong said.

Ong said the market value of modern office properties had increased because of the preference to buy them rather than to rent, because of the attractive selling prices of such properties.

“The market value has also risen due to the limited supply of modern office properties,” he said.

Ong said about 70% of the office space on the island was currently occupied.

“The rents for modern office space will remain stable this year while the rents for older office buildings will decline further to attract new tenants as they are suffering from poor occupancy,” Ong said.

On actual property prices for residential properties in the secondary market, Ong said the transacted prices are usually about 30% more than the initial price tag of the property.

“This means a property bought originally for RM500,000 is likely to be sold for around 30% higher than the original price.

“The asking price is usually around 40% to 50% more than the original price,” Ong added.

Lim Chien Aun, proprietor of registered and chartered valuer C.A. Lim & Co, said rental returns on the island are unattractive because most investors buy properties in Penang for capital appreciation and not for rental returns.

“In other words, they buy for speculative purposes.

“The fact that rents in Penang are not rising as fast as property prices reflect also on the income levels of Penangites.

“The poor demand in Penang for rental properties also explains why rents are unattractive,” he said.

For retail properties, Lim said, generally, the monthly rent in prime shopping malls on the island starts from RM20 per sq ft for retail lots on the ground floor and RM10 per sq ft for the first floor.

“There are instances of shopping malls that have leased out their retail lots on the ground floor for monthly rent of RM35 per sq ft and RM30 per sq ft for the first floor.

“This is normally for a contractual rental period of three years with the option to rent another for three years under more or less the same terms and conditions.

“Every year the rent increases by about 5%,” he said.

Meanwhile Henry Butcher Retail managing director Tan Hai Hsin said, similar to Klang Valley and Johor Bahru, Penang has been facing an oversupply of retail properties for many years.

“Similar to these two cities, the supply situation for retail space is extreme. Popular shopping centres remain popular with car park full on weekends.

“On the other hand, poorly occupied shopping centres continue to suffer due to poor occupancy and shopper traffic.

“The situation has not worsened, because there has been no major retail supply entering the Penang market in the last few years,” Tan said, adding that later this year, the Gurney Paragon shopping mall should be opening up.

“Over the next two to four years, several shopping malls should be opening in Penang.

“These include the AEON Mall in Bayan Baru, Penang Times Square Phase 3, the shopping mall by IJM Land planned next to the Penang Bridge, the shopping mall at Southbay Plaza in Batu Maung, The Landmark in Tanjung Tokong, and a 1,000,000 sq ft mega mall in Prai by the Belleview Group,” he said.

According to Tan, the retail market in Penang is already very competitive and rather saturated, .

“New mall developments near the existing bridge and the new bridge will offer more potential as they can draw shoppers from the mainland as well as residents from northern region of Peninsular Malaysia,” Tan added.

Meanwhile Penang Times Square general manager C.C. Yeap said the rents for the shopping mall increased slightly over 2012.

“We are 71% occupied and progressing well. The daily traffic for the mall registered at 6,528 for 2012,” he said. - The Star

Bustling and booming

THE once small town of Bukit Mertajam is thriving with shopping malls and new housing schemes.

Over the years, locals have seen a spate of shopping malls such as Aeon City in Bandar Perda and Tesco hypermarket in Jalan Rozhan, Alma.

Old-world charm: A view of the quaint town of Bukit Mertajam with its pre-war shophouses.

A slew of residential housing pro-jects includes Villa Lagenda and Bayu Mutiara located near the town centre.

Senior citizens caught in the development frenzy are constantly reminiscing the good old days.

The parliamentary constituency covers three state constituencies — Berapit, Machang Bubuk and Padang Lalang.

The town which is also popularly known as Da Shan Jiao in Mandarin is unique because it has a little bit of everything that defines the culturally rich enclave of Penang.

This includes the annual grand candlelight procession during St Anne’s Feast to the biggest Tai Su Yeah (King of Hades) send-off during Hungry Ghost Festival.

Tourists have also come from around the world to experience the laid-back Malay culture at the small village of Mengkuang Titi homestay programme.

However, beneath the small town charm of Bukit Mertajam with a compelling blend of diversity, lies several issues which include traffic conges-tion and poor public transportation system.

The pace of modernisation has resulted in skyrocketing house prices.

The price of semi-detached terrace houses in some of the fastest growing areas in Bukit Mertajam has rocketed up to RM1mil while certain double-storey houses are priced at RM500,000.

A trader who wants to be known only as Lisa, 27, from Kampung Guar Jering, is concerned over the lack of affordable housing in the constituency.

“This has resulted in many people being forced to stay in rented premises.

“Though I have been saving for some years to buy a house, I was disappointed when I last saw a double-storey terrace house in Penanti costing RM280,000,” she said.

Lisa added that the skyrocketing house prices had hit hard those from low-income groups.

Food stall operator Azman Ishak, 52, voiced similar views saying there was a need of more affordable housing.

“Though prices of property are increasing annually, there is a lack of development or upgrading of facilities in Bukit Mertajam,” he said.

“For years, we have only one proper wet market and a hospital within the surrounding area.

“How can they accommodate the growing number of residents who are moving into new housing projects?” he asked.

Having lived in Taman Sejahtera, Alma, for the past seven years, clerk M. Sharas, 50, said there was a need to revamp the public transportation system.

“I rely solely on public buses to get to my workplace in Butterworth and also to go around the Bukit Mertajam town.

“Unfortunately, there is no Rapid Penang bus that passes through my housing area,” she said.

Her elder sister Dewi, 55, said the number of buses in residential areas was not enough to service the needs of the people.

“It is a long two-hour wait for the buses. It is especially troublesome during an emergency when we need to rush someone to hospital,” the factory worker said.

Scrap metal dealer Lee Chien Poay, 53, said the heavy traffic had led to chaos during peak hours.

“It happens mostly during school rush hours in the mornings and afternoons.

“Jit Sin Independent High School, SMK Convent Bukit Mer-tajam and SJK (C) Kim Sen are located just a stone’s throw from one another. The jam is bad there,” he said.

Bridging local needs: A new flyover constructed next to the abandoned Mayang Mall to ease traffic congestion.

Lee said despite the additional flyover linking Jalan Maju-Jalan Song Ban Kheng and Jalan Kulim, traffic was still heavy after school hours.

“There are severe traffic crawls up to Jalan Usahaniaga which links to the Bukit Mertajam town,” he said.

He hoped the construction of a flyover between Jalan Nangka and Jalan Sungai Rambai heading to Juru Auto City, which was expected to be completed next year, would ease traffic congestions.

Coffee shop owner Ang Tat Len, 62, urged the authorities to look into overcoming traffic crawls on weekdays.

Born and bred in Bukit Mertajam, Ang spent his early years working in Singapore and stayed in Johor Baru for several years.

“During the late 1990s, I decided to move back to my hometown to retire here.

“However, this is not the small town I used to live in. I prefer a carefree lifestyle with less traffic and houses sold at affordable prices,” he said. - The Star

Hearing into hillslope project objections to go on next month

The hearing into the local residents’ objections to a hillside development project in Sungai Ara before the Penang Appeals Board will continue next month.

Board chairman Datuk Yeo Yang Poh fixed April 16 and April 17 for the proceedings.

He was presiding over an appeal by several residents who were against the hillslope project because they feared that the project would en-danger their homes and the environment.

Appearing on behalf of the residents was Datuk Lakhbir Singh Chahl while lawyer Christina Siew represented the developer, Sunway City Development.

In an earlier report on Nov 8, Yeo had questioned the definition of ‘special project’ (projek istimewa).

However, Siew said it was not a new terminology although it went undefined in the Penang Structure Plan 2020.

Yeo then proceeded to question what was special about the Sunway City project as to him, it was as common as any other housing project in the state.

On April 8 last year, a group of 200 residents from various housing estates as well as representatives of non-governmental organisation Sahabat Alam Malaysia staged a protest against the project.

The residents had earlier received a notification from the Penang Municipal Council’s Planning Department that the project was approved on Feb 21, last year. - The Star

35木屋居民遭发展商迫迁 郭庭源将代民交涉

（槟城11日讯）东日落洞马德拉沙路（Jalan Madrasah）木屋区35间居民遭逼迁，双溪槟榔区州议员郭庭源已代表其中一个地主和发展商交涉，并欢迎受影响居民向他求助。

郭庭源接受《光华日报》访问时说，发展商相中该区的土地，不过该土地涉及两个地主，即开山王神庙及尤氏卿田堂。“由于我是开山王神庙顾问，在7月已代表他们与发展商开始谈判至今，虽然双方还未完成协议，不过已获初步的口头认同。”

他说，位于马德拉沙路段的土地是属于尤氏卿田堂所拥有，但不曾接到居民的投诉及求助，不过已做好准备为居民与发展商交涉。由于一些居民须在3月18日上庭，所以欢迎居民在近期内赶快前来寻找协助，以便能加紧脚步地与发展商交涉。

将居民控上庭

他透露，这次木屋区迫迁共涉及35个有门牌的住户，而且居民也在2月份接到律师信，基于当地居民占用土地且没有在限期前搬空，所以将当地居民控上法庭。他认为，前提是居民须达到一致协议，不可以有其他不同要求，否则很难与发展商协商。- 光

IOI集团高庭上诉得直 新港争议山坡计划开行

（槟城11日讯）大马富豪丹斯里李深静领导的IOI集团，在槟岛新港的一项遭市政局否决的山坡发展计划峰回路转，发展商将事件带上高庭上诉得直，驳回槟岛市政局的发展禁令，此外面对居民反对的另一项平房计划也在居民撤回上诉后，同样得直发展。

属 IOI集团的发展公司Palmex工业私人有限公司，在新港的山坡发展计划于去年遭市局否决，造成山坡公寓计划面对腰斩。唯发展商较后通过市政局上诉庭上 诉得直，成功驳回发展禁令，然而据了解，在发展工程拟开动时，发展商面对民众再向市局上诉局上诉。发展商为免夜长梦多，将事件直接带进高庭。

而高庭也于今年1月下判，指示市政局批准计划，为计划打通大门。此外，据本报了解，除了上述计划在高庭宣判下，计划即将通行无阻开动外，在原地另一项同样面对居民阻挠的平房计划，也在居民撤销向市政局上诉庭上诉后，使到计划终将在无阻下开行。

据了解，Palmex工业计划也是继双威集团（Sunway Group）在新港“双威城”（Sunway City）计划遭槟州首长林冠英援引槟州策划委员会（SPC）主席权力喊停后，遭市局否决的另一计划。- 光华